


A Xena Tale

by bornforwar_archivist



Category: Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-12-31
Updated: 2006-12-31
Packaged: 2020-04-05 07:05:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19043584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bornforwar_archivist/pseuds/bornforwar_archivist
Summary: By BriarBriar's first fanfic. A tale of Xena and Gabrielle as they travel. It has Ares, action, adventure, and a good deal of humor. This is both sweet and spicy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Delenn, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Born For War](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Born_For_War), which closed in 2015. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in March 2016. If you have questions, you may contact me using the e-mail address on [Born For War collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bornforwar).
> 
>  
> 
> _This story was originally written by beloved fandom member, Briar. Tragically, Briar passed away several years prior to the archive's closing. As the archive had permission to house Briar's works prior to their passing, we place this fic here in memorial and memory, and to share their work with the world. Briar, you are missed._
> 
>  
> 
> **Here are Briar's original Disclaimers and Notes:**  
>  Disclaimer: I own no rights whatsoever to any characters from Xena:Warrior Princess, I am only borrowing them for the length of this story. This story is for the amusement and entertainment of my friends in the Ares and Xena Shippers club. I promise to return the characters intact when I am finished with them. I am making no money from this  
> story. 
> 
> Rating : PG, gets a little spicy at the end. 
> 
> Sex: Not really, some innuendo here and there. 
> 
> Violence: Some, but not a lot, this is after all Xena.

Drip, drip, drip...the sound had gone on for days now. It had rained steadily for over a week. Everything was wet, their clothes were clinging to them with an obstinacy that was becoming annoying. They had been fortunate enough to find this huge evergreen tree with low hanging, heavily needled branches. It was surrounded by other, smaller evergreens. For the first day or two that had helped. Then the wind had picked up, and the heavens had opened. Now, the very branches that had sheltered them were dripping their load of moisture in a slow, insidious, monotonous thud. Xena was holding up rather well under the circumstances, but not Gabrielle. "Isn't this rain ever going to stop?" she whined. "All it does is rain. It rains softly for a while, then it lets up to just a mist, but then it starts to pour again. I WANT IT TO STOP!" "Gabrielle, it is the rainy season. What do you expect? We have plenty of supplies, we have no place we have to be right now, and it will eventually stop." "It can't happen soon enough to suit me!" was the disgruntled reply. 

Later that afternoon, the sun broke through. The blue of the sky, although still marred with a few clouds here and there, was a welcome sight. Their first order of business was to dry things out. They hung clothes here and there in the sunlight hoping they would soon be dry. The clothes on their backs would dry out rather quickly now that the rain had stopped. Their body heat was coming back. They had been chilled to the bone during the worst of the storm. Huddled together under a blanket to at least keep out the worst of the wind, they had managed to share what little body heat they had left. They had been back to back most of the time for the last several days. Xena's *old* bones were aching from the inactivity. That was a standing joke between then, as Xena was quite a few years older than Gabrielle. 

Xena got out her sword and started some drills. The exercise would be good for her, and it would also quicken the speed with which her clothes dried. The swift sure movements soon warmed up her joints and muscles, and then she started with the leaps, flips, kicks, and other gymnastic exercises. It was never wise to start strenuous exercise until you were warmed up. She had learned that from Ares. He had taught her most of these moves, and had rigorously made her practice them until she could do them right every time. Most of the time just wasn't good enough. He was a stickler for detail. She finally completed her routine, and went looking for any kind of dry wood they could use for a cook fire. There wasn't much to be had, the rain had seen to that. She did, however, manage to find a rotten log. It had a punky section she could rip apart with her hands. It was dry inside, and she managed to get several handsful of kindling with which to start a fire. She was also fortunate enough to find an old nest inside, with a lot of dry grasses and leaves. 

The fire started easily enough, and with the kindling burning brightly they soon had more wood dry enough to make a good fire. Gabrielle opened the packs and started digging through the contents. "Ruined, absolutely ruined!" she exclaimed. " Everything is wet, the flour is a gummy paste, even the jerky is damp." "Well, see what you can salvage." Xena replied. "It's not too far to a village where we can re-supply." They dried out the jerky beside the fire, Gabrielle made some kind of pancakes from the gummy flour, and they ate what they had. It would have to do. At least they wouldn't go hungry on the way. 

The village wasn't much to look at. It consisted of only about a dozen houses, had a small temple to Athena, and a very small tavern attached to a supply store. The two women looked around on their way in, seeing nothing to worry them in any way, they reined their horses in at the front of the store. It was a quiet, peaceful town, to all appearances. They entered the store, made their selections from the supplies on hand, and paid for their purchases. As they left the shop, they took another look around. Practically no one in sight. Unusual for this time of day. They loaded their supplies on the horses, and then decided to see if there was any decent food to be had at the tavern. You never knew, one tavern would have great food, and another would have stuff you would consider feeding to your pigs. This one turned out to be of the former type. The aroma that tantalized their noses as they stepped through the doors was enough to make their mouths water. "Roast turkey!" Gabrielle said. They hadn't had roast turkey in months. It was one of Gabrielle's favorite foods, and something she just couldn't resist. "Please, Xena, let's stay for dinner?" The odor had also aroused Xena's appetite, so she gladly complied. The manager came over and took their order. As he was delivering it, Xena asked him why things were so terribly quiet in the village.� 

It seems that most of the villagers had gone to a fair in the next large town. They were having a livestock sale, competitions in baking, pickling, handwork and other crafts. After he had left them to enjoy their meal, Gabrielle started musing on the idea of the fair. It had been ages and ages since she had been to a fair. When she was growing up, that had been one of the highlights in her year. Her whole village would go to the fair. Sometimes her mother would buy her something nice, like ribbons for her hair, a new scarf, maybe even a new scroll to read. A fair was a wonderful place to be. The more she thought about it, the more she was tempted. "you know, Xena, that's not a bad idea." "What idea?" was the reply. Xena was thinking of something else at the time, and had no idea what Gabrielle was talking about. "The fair!" she exclaimed. "Didn't you hear him telling us about the fair?" "What fair?" was the reply. "I'm afraid I wasn't really listening." 

They had discussed it for quite a while. Gabrielle was anxious to go, but Xena really didn't see the need to go out of their way just to see a fair. "But you were just saying that we didn't have any place we had to be. So what difference does it make where we go? I'd really like to take in the fair!" After more discussion Xena had finally given in. It wasn't as if they were on any kind of schedule or anything. If Gabrielle really wanted to go that badly, she guessed she could humor her. 

The fair was quite a bit larger than Xena had ever imagined. They had all kinds of exhibitions. One of them that caught her eye was a weapons maker. She watched him for quite a while as he hammered a piece of iron into a shield rim. The shield itself would have been too heavy to carry if it had been entirely of Iron. The body was of brass, with a crosshatch and rim of Iron. It would easily stop most swords. She had no need of a shield, her speed and agility more than made up for the extra protection a shield would provide, but it was a beautiful piece of workmanship. 

Gabrielle was in her element. She was excited and thrilled to be in a wonderful place like this fair. There were storytellers, musicians, magic workers who could make a scarf appear from your ear, all kinds of interesting things. She managed to get a good deal on some India ink, got three blank scrolls for the price of two, and found a piece of ribbon that was exactly the color of her eyes. Altogether a wonderful day. 

The two women rejoined for supper. They had taken rooms at a decent inn, and had agreed to meet there for a meal when they were finished shopping. Xena had actually bought very little. She didn't have many needs. She liked to keep things simple. No need to be carrying loads of stuff that just took up room and loaded down the horse. Supplies were one thing, they were necessary. Knickknacks and pretties weren't. She was glad that Gabrielle had her own horse now. All those scrolls took up a lot of space, even though they didn't weigh much. Her saddle bags used to be taken up with mostly Gabrielle's stuff. Now she could concentrate on more necessary stuff. One item she had picked up was a small tent. It was oiled silk, and was supposed to be totally waterproof. Hopefully all the rhetoric the salesman had used was true. That week of rain had strained her patience to the breaking point. She realized that Gabrielle was happiest when she was telling stories, but she could also spend a lot of time bitching. The constant complaints during that week had really gotten on her nerves. She could only hope that the tent would help if they ever got in that situation again. 

They found a table in a far corner, and took their seats. Something smelled good. The serving girl came over to take their order, and they asked what that aroma was. "It's roast pork! we also have some oven roasted potatoes with an herbed cream sauce, and a choice of peas or carrots for the vegetable." was the reply. It all sounded delicious, and the two ordered their meals. They also ordered Mead. They might as well splurge. They didn't spend much time in towns, and they had the ready cash to do it. Xena had saved a large town from a vicious warlord. She had had the help of several noted citizens, and Gabrielle had written a full account of the battle. She had given due recognition to each of the citizens involved, and when she read the scroll to the assembled citizens, they all wanted a copy. She had spent several days copying that scroll. The citizens had not only paid her for her efforts, but they had each provided her with the blank scrolls she needed. The head man had also given her a new bottle of ink and several quills to complete the task. The citizens now had scrolls detailing their heroic actions in the battle to save their town. Something for future generations to ooh and aah at. 

As they ate their dinner, they discussed their day. Gabrielle went into intricate detail as to everything she had seen and heard. When it was Xena's turn she simply remarked on the workmanship of the blacksmith she had watched. She decided to keep the tent a secret for the time being. She'd wait until they needed it, and then voila, the tent would appear as if by magic. The look on Gabrielle's face would be something to see. 

There was a sudden disturbance, two drunken men had come to blows, and it spilled over into their area. They grabbed their plates and mugs to avoid getting everything spilled all over themselves. They were just in time, the table went crashing to the floor as they sidestepped the squabble. They leaned against the wall as the pair knocked over another table. The people at that table weren't as fortunate as they had been. Food and ale spilled all over the clothes of the couple setting there. The woman screamed, and began wiping at her dress with a cloth. The man took umbrage at the mess. He leaped to his feet, grabbed both men by the nape of the neck, and tried to smash their heads together. He wasn't quite quick enough. The two forgot their argument with each other, and decided to teach this upstart a lesson. A man at another table was friends with the hapless diner, and came to help him. Soon half the tavern was embroiled in the melee. So far, Xena had successfully kept out of the trouble, but that was not to last. One man threw another into Gabrielle. Her food and Mead went flying, fortunately it went away from herself or Xena. It formed a large messy puddle on the floor. Someone slipped on the mess, and landed on top of Xena. She kept her food and drink in hand, balancing on the balls of her feet, she managed to set things down safely. Then she waded in, "ENOUGH!" she bellowed. Her shout took them all by surprise. She had put an amazing amount of force into her voice, commonly known as command voice, which she had learned as a warlord under Ares. For a moment there was silence. Everyone turned to look at her. She then ordered them to get busy picking this place up, now. With sheepish looks on their faces most of them set about obeying her. The original two refused to pay any attention to some bitch who thought she was something. She flipped over the intervening table, landed briefly, and leaped again. This time she kicked both of them in the chest so hard they went flying into the nearest wall. THUD, the sound reverberated throughout the room. They slowly slid to the floor. Not a movement, not a sound, only limp bodies leaning against the wall. "Someone take them outside and dunk their heads in the horse trough. When they wake up, send them home." It was surprising how quickly she got volunteers for the job. 

Before too long, the tavern was pretty well straightened up. People had picked up the tables and chairs, mopped up the floor, and rearranged the furniture back into place. Surprisingly, nothing serious seemed to be broken. The furniture was all in one piece, being made of pretty solid wood. The only damage was in crockery. There were broken dishes and mugs that had been swept up and dumped in a barrel, but not as many as she would have expected. The tavern owner was smart, he bought good quality sturdy merchandise for his place. It cost more to begin with, but it was definitely worth it in the long run. Taverns have a long history of fights, and she was sure this one was no exception. 

The Innkeeper came over and offered the two women new dishes of food and mugs of Mead. "It's the least I can do." he said. "You kept things from really getting out of hand. No one was seriously hurt, nothing important was broken, and I'd like to thank you personally for your efforts." Gabby was still standing open mouthed. "That was awesome!" she said enthusiastically. "I've got to write this down." Xena down-played her own efforts. She said that she had only gotten their attention and made them realize just what they were doing. They had taken it from there. When they had finished their dinner, they went up to their rooms and turned in for the night. For some odd reason, they were really tired.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See chapter 1 for notes.

Xena and Gabrielle had suffered through more than a week of rain. They had resupplied at a small town, learned of the fair in the next big town, and traveled for many miles on horseback. They had arrived in town to see the big fair. Both had done some shopping, and had finally settled down at the Inn's tavern for some supper. Two drunks had started a fight. The fight had soon escalated into a drunken brawl. Xena had broken it up, and gotten the crowd to clean up the mess they had made. Altogether an exhausting day. They had gone to bed early, falling asleep almost before they crawled into their beds. 

The crowing of a very loud rooster awakened Xena the next morning. At first she couldn't figure out why the bird sounded so very loud. She got up and looked out the window. Below her sill was the roof of the kitchen. There, just outside her window, was the rooster in question. He had a perfect view of the sunrise from there, and was strutting importantly up and down the slope of the roof. He turned his head and looked her right in the eye. "COCK-A-DOODLE- DOOOO!" He announced. She could have sworn he was doing it especially for her benefit. 

She turned and looked at Gabrielle, who had pulled the pillow up over her head. The rooster crowed again, eliciting a groan from the bard. "You might as well get up," Xena told her, "He's in rare form today, and he's just warming up." Her only reply was another groan. Morning was definitely not Gabrielle's favorite time of day. Xena left her there to the rooster's ministrations, and went looking for breakfast. The Inn owner was all smiles when she entered the tavern room. "And did you ladies get a good night's rest?" he queried. Xena laughed and replied"Lovely, until your friend outside decided we were sleeping in. He has quite a voice." she laughed. The Innkeeper laughed also, and agreed. "My wife has been threatening him with the stew pot for two years now, it doesn't even faze him. Will your friend be joining you for breakfast?" Xena shook her head and smiled, "She's not a morning person, but I think that rooster just might encourage her to make an exception today. Don't plan on anything for her until you see the whites of her eyes. She's been known to sleepwalk." They both chuckled, and the innkeeper asked what she would like for breakfast. "Do you have bacon and eggs?" "Of course, why do you think we keep that blasted rooster, he keeps the hens happy." They both chuckled again, and he walked back into the kitchen shaking his head and grinning. 

Xena had finished her breakfast, and was drinking a mug of tea by the time Gabrielle came down the stairs. She was still yawning widely, and stretching and swinging her arms as she came to the table. "Are you awake?" Xena asked. She received a mumbled reply, that she couldn't quite make out. "What did you say?" she inquired again. "I said, that stupid loud mouthed rooster just won't shut up." was the response. Xena chuckled, and just to rub it in a little, informed Gabrielle that she was having eggs for breakfast. "Eggs? not on your life! Anything to do with chickens is definitely out for today." While she was speaking, the innkeeper had entered the room behind her. He grinned and winked at Xena. "Ah, there she is. You're just in time for lunch. We're having a vegetable omelet, chicken and gravy over biscuits, or a shredded chicken salad." "What? I won't be here for lunch, I'll find someplace that isn't serving Chicken." Xena laughed with the innkeeper. "He's just teasing you Gabrielle, what are we actually having?" "I have plenty of the roast pork from last night. We sometimes serve that on a roll, with a spicy tomato sauce." "Now that sounds delicious,Gabrielle said. Just leave the chicken for someone else. I'm not in the mood." 

Lunch was even better than Gabby had hoped. They had plenty of fresh cheese, fruit, fresh loaves of bread, and a dish of steamed broccoli to go with the pork. They also had a fruit punch that was cool and delicious. Xena was amused to see that Gabrielle's appetite was unscathed. She ate her fill, then just kept on nibbling, a little of this, a little of that. Finally Xena began to worry about her. At long last Gabrielle gave a big sigh, rubbed her tummy, and burped loudly. Xena burst into laughter, it had been a tremendous belch. "If we were in the east, that would be considered a monumental compliment to your host." she informed her, still laughing. For a moment Gabrielle looked offended, but then she saw the humor in the situation. They laughed for several minutes, and then Xena got to her feet. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it's time to hit the road. We've been here long enough." 

They went to the stables, collected their well fed and contented horses, and saddled them up. Then they loaded their packs, saddlebags and provisions behind the saddles, and mounted up. At a slow walk they traveled down the main street and to the city gates. Traveling any faster would have raised a lot of dust. It seemed hard to believe that it had rained that hard, for that long, and the streets were already dusty. Maybe the rain had gone around? Sometimes it did that. A massive storm would pass to the south of them, and a few candlemarks later another would pass along the northern horizon. They would have bright sunlight all day. A good question for the gods,...why ? As they traveled they passed a large dark temple in a grove of trees beside the road. There were no obvious signs as to which god was represented here, but, something about it reminded Xena of Ares. It was dark, and rather massive, without any decorative touches. As they got closer, they saw a stone pillar beside the trail leading to the temple. On the pillar was clearly delineated the rune representing Ares. She had been right. 

They quickly passed it without stopping or even slowing down. Continued travel soon took them from the immediate area. Several hours later, they made camp beside a small clear stream. There was a waterfall, that only extended about six feet across, and maybe four feet tall. At the base was a pool, not too deep, and not very large. It looked like the perfect place for a bath. The air temperature had been increasing all day, and both had been sweating. It was rather early in the year for this much heat. Sometimes you just can't win for losing. Over a week of rain and cold had left them feeling rather bedraggled. Now they were slowly baking in the heat. The bath would be a welcome relief. They each had chores to do, Gabrielle went looking for firewood, Xena went hunting for dinner. There didn't seem to be many fish in the stream, at least not in this area of the stream. It didn't take Xena long to bring back a very large, very fat, rabbit. She skinned and cleaned it, then cut a stick to use for a spit. In the meantime Gabrielle had started a small fire. She got out a pan, and prepared some vegetables, she then placed two medium potatoes in the coals to bake. She said "We'll have a feast!" Xena just grinned and shook her head. As if Gabrielle hadn't eaten enough for both of them at lunch, now she was thinking about a feast. Where did she put it all, in a hollow leg? Maybe both legs were hollow. What an idea. Just thinking about it made her chuckle. Two hollow legs, that would explain the appetite. Gabrielle gave her a questioning look, but she just shook her head again, "Nothing, just a foolish thought." she replied. 

After they had eaten, they cleaned up around the campsite, cleaned the pans, and put things away. They both looked at each other, grinned, and took off running for the brook. "Last one in is a rotten egg!" Xena called. "Don't remind me about chickens!" Gabby complained. "Well, at least you won't have to listen to sir rooster tomorrow morning." Xena commiserated. "He was a bit too much at that hour of the morning." "You're telling me!" Gabby muttered. "Actually, I thought I just did tell you." Xena grinned again. "Are you sure you wouldn't likeeggs for breakfast? I brought a few just in case. " "Xena!!!! you just stop it." They continued in this vein for quite a while, teasing each other unmercifully. After all, what are best friends for? They stripped themselves on the grassy verge of the stream, clothes flying in all directions. Xena beat her into the water, but just barely. There wasn't more than a hand's breadth between them. They scrubbed until they felt really clean, then they washed their hair. Finally they got out of the water, they had neglected to bring towels with them. They turned and looked at each other, then they began laughing. There they were, soaking wet, standing there naked and laughing. They were both feeling a little foolish at the moment. 

They had finally just picked up their clothes in one wet hand, and raced naked back to camp, still laughing. They retrieved their towels, and dried off. Then they got dressed again. Every so often they would break out into laughter. First one would start, then when the laughter started to die down, the other would begin again. They finally crawled into their bedrolls, and tried to calmdown. Occasional quiet giggles continued for a while, but then they both fell asleep. It was early dawn when Xena became aware of his presence. She tried to ignore him, but soon he bent and whispered "Xena...." in her ear. So much for sleep. At least this wasn't quite as bad as the rooster. Ares was much easier to listen to, and also much better looking. At least to a woman, she was sure the hens would disagree. Just the thought of a bunch of hens walking around checking out Ares was enough to set her off into giggles again. It's a good thing Gabrielle slept as deeply as she did. "What's so funny?" he asked quietly. "Hens!" was her amused reply. "Hens?" "Yes, hens!" she started to giggle again. She was holding both hands over her mouth to muffle the laughter. With a quizzical expression on his face, Ares waited patiently for her to explain. It took a while. Every time she tried to talk, she would start to giggle again. 

Eventually she got herself under control. When she explained the mental picture she had experienced, he too began to chuckle. "Well, I always thought I was good looking, but I can easily admit that hens might not think so." he replied. "Especially if you drew your sword and waved it around." she giggled. "They might get a bad case of not me!!!! Choose some other chicken. Are you sure you wouldn't prefer turkey?" He started to laugh again. They were trying to keep their voices down, but a sudden guffaw woke Gabrielle. "Ares, what are you doing here?" "Being royally entertained ." was the reply. "Royally?"she questioned. "Yes, royally, a king would have to go some to find anything funnier than that." "What?'" she wanted to know. "Chickens!!!" he guffawed. "Chickens? Xena, you didn't!" "Actually, I didn't, this is something else entirely." she replied. Xena started giggling again, "I wasn't even thinking about that." She received a doubtful look from Gabrielle, and a questioning one from Ares. "What?" he questioned. "Don't you dare tell him!!! Gabrielle shouted. 

Eventually both stories came out, it really was humorous. The three of them continued to laugh and come up with ever more hilarious ideas. Dawn broke, and Ares disgustedly shook his head. "Well girls, I hate to break it up, but I've got awar to supervise. I don't know when I've ever had so much fun, in fact I don't know if I've ever had so much fun. I can't remember ever laughing so hard in my life." The girls actually hated to see him go, but they realized that the situation was not likely to be repeated. He was still the god of war, and still technically their enemy. At the moment, a rather friendly enemy, but an enemy nonetheless. After he left they made breakfast (No eggs!), packed up, and continued their journey.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See chapter 1 for notes.

The night before had been one of the most enjoyable Ares could ever remember. He had decided to make a visit to his warrior princess. After all, she was his chosen. When he had arrived, she had chosen to ignore him. He knew she was awake, because her breathing had changed as soon as he arrived. He watched for a moment, then leaned over and whispered "Xena..." in her ear. That had done the trick. She resignedly sat up and talked to him. Then she had started to chuckle. The chuckle had almost reached the stage of hysterics. He wasn't used to people laughing at him, not even Xena, and he wanted to get tothe bottom of this. Once she had told him the mental picture she had of a flock of hens checking him out, he had to admit it was funny. Gabrielle had awakened, and immediately challenged his presence. When he told her they were laughing about chickens, she was horrified. She thought Xena had told him about her earlier episode with a loud mouthed rooster, with the teasing it had engendered, and had been decidedly unhappy. Then Xena had explained that this was another chicken story altogether. They had soon gotten the mix-up straightened out. After both tales had been thoroughly dissected, they had gone on to other ridiculous ideas. They had spent until dawn chuckling and he had finally, reluctantly, left to perform his official duties. 

He sat there on his throne, with one leg casually flung over the arm. He habitually sat this way when he was pondering something. Every once in a while he would chuckle. It was hard to get his mind back on business after wholeheartedly enjoying himself like that. He hadn't had that much fun since he was a child, and it had been a terribly long time since he was a child. He and his sister Aphrodite had been incorrigible. They had gotten into all kinds of mischief. 'Dite had always been his favorite sibling. Some of his other brothers and sisters were so upright and perfect that it made him sick. And furthermore, they hadn't improved any with age. They were still a bunch of self righteous hypocrites. "Oh, Ares, you're so bad." Of course he was bad, he was the god of war. If he had been a lily livered pansy he couldn't have done the job properly. And he did take pride in his work. His warlords had conquered much of the known world at one time or another. If Xena were still with him, he could have finished the job. What would they think then? 

His imagination took him through an alternate reality. Xena, conqueror of the world. She would be his warrior queen, a goddess, sitting at his side forever.Then reality set back in. She wanted nothing to do with that scenario. Thanks to that moralistic half brother of his she had chosen to leave him, to change her life, to do good. The thought still irritated him. Of course there was always a chance that she would change her mind and return to his side. It was, admittedly, a small chance. At least a small chance was better than no chance at all. What was that saying about women? Oh, yes, now he recalled. It is a woman's prerogative to change her mind. Maybe he could change it back. 

The abrupt arrival of Discord roused him from his musings. She casually came up, sat down on the unoccupied arm of his throne, and grinned. "Have I got news for you!" she chortled. He tried to ignore her. "Aren't you even going to ask what it is?" "No." was his reply. "But it's really something!" she insisted. "Discord, if it was really important, I would probably already know about it." he stated. "But..but.. it really is important, at least to Xena. I know how you like to keep up to date with these things." "Xena? What about Xena?" "A new warlord is setting up business in the vicinity of Amphipolis." "A new warlord? One of mine? I never authorized that!" "Well, she'll probably blame you for it, even if he isn't one of yours." "Who is this idiot? What's his name? Where didhe come from?" he asked anxiously. "He's got a strange name, Gregor, I think. It's not Gregorius, I'm sure. As for where he's from, nobody seems to know. He just showed up one day, killed the current warlord of the small band, and took over. He sliced off his head in fact, then placed it on a pole as an example. He's since done the same with two more small bands. That gives him a sizeable group." 

Ares decided that this was definitely something to check out. He hadn't even been aware of the takeover. He must be slipping or something. He transported himself to his chambers, seated himself in a chair facing a large mirror, and began scanning the area. There he was, and no, he wasn't anyone Ares was familiar with. He was stocky and muscular. Blond hair, blue eyes, and a superior expression rounded out his description. Ares bristled in response. Some of the lieutenants were men Ares recognized. Three of the men had been under some of his minor warlords. They had been their lieutenants in fact. What was this, mutiny? Actually he couldn't blame the men if their commanders were unable to keep their heads. It was a case of survival of the fittest. If they wanted to survive they had to acknowledge the new commander as the fittest, as top dog in fact. Raiders were like a wolf pack. The Alpha male leads. 

The group was located in the hills near Amphipolis. It wouldn't be long before they started demanding tribute. If it wasn't forthcoming immediately, they would probably raze the town. This must not be allowed to happen. Xena's mother and older brother lived there. If anything happened to either of them Xena would blame him. He pondered the matter for some time. He had no one in the area that was qualified to handle the situation. Maybe he had better at least notify Xena of the matter. Let her know that Gregor was not one of his, and that he had no control over the man. Gregor had his own gods, and would probably ignore anything he had to say. Maybe he could turn this to his own advantage. 

His arrival was no surprise, it never was, she always knew the exact moment he appeared in her vicinity. It didn't matter that he was still technically inside the aether. She could still feel him. The link was remarkable. Even though she refused to acknowledge fealty, she was still his chosen. That designation was for life, and the mutual bond would always exist. He alwaysknew if she needed him, he even knew when she was thinking about him. That fact still made her furious. "What?" she asked. "Just a piece of information you might like to have." he replied. "What makes you think I want any information from you?" was her curt query. "The fact that your mother and brother might be in danger was a little something I thought you might like to know." "You bastard! What have you done now?" was her furious demand. "I haven't done anything, in fact I have nothing to do with it whatsoever. Itwas simply brought to my attention that a new man has taken control of three small bands and moved into the area of Amphipolis. He doesn't recognize any gods but his own, which don't include me, I might add. I'd help, but I have no one in the area who can command troops. Men I have in abundant supply, weapons are no problem, I just don't have any capable commanders in the area." She looked at him for a long moment. The intense scrutiny began to bother him. "So what do you want me to do? You know I'm not coming back to you." "I didn't ask you to come back. I am simply offering what help I can provide." was his quiet reply. He continued to just stand there. She began to feel self conscious under his level gaze, and began to pace. She muttered unintelligibly to herself for a few minutes, and finally said, "What do you get out of this?". "Nothing, no strings attached, I'm only offering to help. After all, you're my chosen even though you deny it." 

She had considered the matter from all angles. She couldn't find a single fine thread of inuendo or threat in his offer. She finally decided that she would be a fool if she refused his offer, and she was no one's fool. "How fast can you get men and weapons into position? I want them in the clearing to the north of the village as soon as possible. The raiders are camped in the walled valley to the north of town aren't they? It's the only place a large group could make a camp that wouldn't be terribly obvious. They could hide out there for weeks before anyone found them. They will need supplies. That means they will probably start raiding the farms in the area. I've got to put a stop to this nonsense!" She had rapidly covered the entire subject from every angle. Ares looked on with amusement. She was still his Xena. She was a marvelous strategist. He had not even told her where the encampment was. She knew the area well enough to place the campexactly. This was going to be interesting. Xena was going to be leading a small army of his men, even though it was in her own interest, and she would not be acknowledging him as supreme commander. It was going to be marvelous. Another wonderful thing was that the bard had never once interrupted. She had stood there, with mouth gaping, in complete silence. Will wonders never cease? He'd never thought to see that day. 

Xena had quickly gathered the dumbstruck Gabrielle and headed for Amphipolis. She left Gabby with her mother, and went out to reconnoiter. She had found a place of concealment where she could overlook the camp. They were situated in a valley with a brook running through it, fairly tall cliffs on both sides, and only open at the two ends. An easy place to guard, under normal circumstances, but not so easy when the enemy commander was as intimately acquainted with the area as she was. She knew of at least five places where a skilled climber could navigate the walls. Going down was easy. Secure the upper end, drop a rope, and clamber down. If she could get enough ropes, she could send a large group of warriors down from both sides at once. they could take out any sentries, and her army could simply march in and take the camp. If she was lucky, there would be little bloodshed. Of course she would probably have to take out the commander personally. He must be reasonably good to have taken over three bands of raiders as he had. Warlords, even minor ones, had to be capable fighters. They had to win the respect of their men. Braggadocio just didn't cut it. 

She quickly returned to town, and commandeered every rope that was available. Then she went to the field where her men were to position themselves. They were there, exactly where she wanted them, and she promptly found out who was in charge. She actually knew the man, his name was Teris. He was tall, rangy, had sandy hair and freckles. He had been under her command when she was a warlord under Ares, but he still appeared terribly young. He had been, at that time, just a gangly kid. The fact that he was now second in command said a lot for his abilities and resolve. He was still a little youthful for his position. Give him a few years, though, and he would be a power to be reckoned with. She washappy to see that he had done so well. 

He knew all the soldiers under his command, knew all their strengths and weaknesses. At Xena's request, he gathered a large number of men who had climbing experience. She drew out a map of the enemy territory. "We can go down here, here, and here easily. These other two areas require real expertise." The men sorted themselves out into five groups, with the most experienced climbers in two of them. "Now, report here just before dusk. I want to get you in position before it's completely dark. Get some rest today. Get something to eat tonight, and gather some supplies to take with you for tomorrow morning. There will be no fires for you tonight, no hot food, no comfortable tent. We can't take the chance that you will be spotted before our attack. They hastened to do her bidding. 

Teris stayed with Xena. "What supplies do we have?" she asked. "We have plenty of food and weapons, tents, everything we could possibly need." Teris replied. "Good, do we have any ropes? I've already gathered every rope in town, but we don't really have enough. I'd like to send twenty men at a time down the cliff. I only have thirteen ropes." "That's no problem. We were provided with a whole stack of coiled ropes. I wondered what we were supposed to do with them. Now I know." Xena thought a brief thanks to Ares. Count on him to be one step ahead in the planning dept. There were brief times when she missed their old camaraderie. They had always worked well together. She had always been able to count on his support and encouragement This would be almost like old times. 

The rest of the men were divided into two groups. The two group leaders were given their orders. They were shown the map, and told that once they were in position, they were to keep complete silence, they were to sleep in shifts. When the first faint hint of false dawn appeared on the horizon they were to be in position. With the appearance of a fire arrow arching in the air over the enemy camp they were to quickly and quietly enter the valley and surround the camp. If possible, they were to take them completely by surprise. There was to be no excess killing, because they wanted to make an example of the surviving raiders. 

The plan went off perfectly. Xena had positioned the two large groups just out of sight of the entrances. She and Teris had taken opposite sides of the valley, and gone down the ropes with their men. The climbers had each been given a bow and fire arrows. They each carried a small earthen pot with a lid, in the pot were coals. At their waists was a pouch of tinder. Each man had been given specific orders. Some were to take out the sentries, others were to hide in the brush just outside the camp site and raise Tartarus if the enemy spotted the reinforcements entering the valley. They could quickly add the tinder to the coals, blow on them until they flared up, and then just dip each arrow into the flames before letting them fly. Teris had the duty of sending the signal arrow into the sky. At Xena's sign, he prepared an arrow and sent it soaring into the air. 

Before the sentries knew it, they were disarmed and bound. The reinforcements then entered the valley. They made almost no sound at all. Metal accouterments had been bound with strips of cloth to muffle any sound. They gathered silently around the camp, and began to enter tents as quietly as possible. There was almost no resistance. Each raider was bound and gagged to keep down any alarm. They had almost completed the exercise when someone came out of one of the tents they hadn't yet reached. When he became aware of the strangers in the camp, he gave out a mighty yell..."We're under attack!" he screamed. Within seconds, the remaining raiders swarmed out of their tents, weapons at the ready. As they realized their circumstances ( they were desperately outnumbered), they slowly began to lower their weapons. There were a few exceptions who decided to fight. 

Of course the commander was one of the exceptions. He managed to kill one of the soldiers that opposed him, but Xena was right behind that soldier. She gave her signature war cry, and brought her sword into play. It took a while, he was surprisingly good, but she did manage to defeat him. She had evaded his stroke, and successfully stabbed him in the thigh. He crumpled. Laying there on the ground, he still refused to give up. He drew a dagger and threw it at her. She had already turned to engage another man, and didn't see the dangerous move. Suddenly the dagger stopped in midair. Ares had appeared. The dagger reversed itself, flew through the intervening distance, and plunged into Gregor's chest. "That's one less problem." Ares stated. " He refused to even acknowledge me. Thought his gods could protect him. Not so! Not in my territory at least!" 

Gabrielle had unwillingly stayed in the village. Xena had asked her to keep an eye on her mother, "She has no fighting skills, and I don't want her hurt in case something goes wrong. Please, Gabrielle, keep her safe?" Gabrielle had finally agreed. Now she was disgusted. Cyrene had never been in any real danger. Xena's army had appeared and taken control of the situation. The bard wasn't even on hand to record the battle. She had missed out on everything. Of course when Xena got back and informed her that there had been almost no fighting, she didn't believe her. " Our side had only three casualties. Eight of the raiders died, including their leader. We took them completely by surprise. It was all over before most of them even knew it had started." As the soldiers slowly gathered outside of the village, Gabrielle interviewed each of them to find out just what had happened. She found that Xena had told her the truth, then she simply recorded everything she could get. Gabby never did get the whole story out of Xena. Xena decided to keep the knife incident to herself. Gabby would not have appreciated the need for Ares' intervention. It could have been a serious situationif he hadn't appeared. She hated to admit it, but she owed him one. 

The raiders had been bundled up in several wagons and transported to Corinth for justice. There the magistrates ordered them placed in the stocks for public ridicule for a week. Then they would be sent to prison. There weren't enough stocks for them all, and more had to be built. It was unbelievable that so many of them had been taken alive. Only incredible planning had allowed it to happen. 

Ares was back on his throne, leg dangling again, with a pleased look on his face. This was more like it. Not quite like old times, but an amazingly sweet substitute. He had watched every move and counter move. Each maneuver had been planned to perfection. There had been no real battle, little bloodshed, but that was all because of intelligent planning. That took real finesse, and he admired that quality. What he wouldn't give for more. Oh well, he could hope.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See chapter 1 for notes.

Cyrene was still in a bit of a dither. Danger had come altogether too close. If her daughter hadn't somehow learned about the gang of raiders in the area, they might have done any number of terrible things. Everyone had heard stories of warlords and raiders. Stories of rape, pillage, and murder. Towns had been burned to the ground, and even women and children killed in horrible ways. This village had been attacked by a warlord named Cortese many years before, and her younger son and several other youths had been killed. Xena too had been in the battle, and had later gone on to be a warlord herself. Cyrene was thankful that the danger had been averted this time. The raiders had all been killed or captured, and the survivors had been sent to Corinth for judgement. There had been few losses on the army's side. Only three if she wasn't mistaken. 

As the army of men trickled into the village, she became aware of the fact that they all considered Xena to be their commander. They formed up on the edge of the village, and awaited further orders. "What are you going to do with them, Xena?" she asked. "Send them back, of course." Xena replied. "I have no further use for them." "How do you plan to do that?" her mother queried. "It's simple. Ares sent them, he can take them back." she retorted. "Ares? Is that where you got them? Why would he give you an army? Are you going back to him?" the questions came one right after the other. "Yes, Ares. He sent them. He told me there were no strings attached, and no I'm not going back to him." Xena stated firmly. 

"Ares..." Xena called. No reply. "Ares!!! I'm calling you. You better get your butt moving, you bastard." Still no answer. Now she was really getting angry. She waited several more seconds, then she bellowed his name. "Ares, are you getting deaf in your old age?" She figured an insult might get some action. She was right. He appeared suddenly in front of her, with a disdainful look on his face. "There's nothing at all wrong with my hearing. I was busy. What do you want?" "I want you to take back this army." she replied. "I have no further use for it." "WHAT... you want me to take back my gift to you?" he asked. "You could always station them around Amphipolis, that way no-one would dare attack. You'd have your own personal guards. I can spare this many warriors without any trouble whatsoever. Of course you'd be responsible for paying and feeding them, as well as finding them quarters in which to live. That's not too much to ask inreturn for your own personal guards. You'd never have to worry about your town unless a quite powerful warlord decided to challenge you. Minor ones wouldn't dare, they'd be out manned. You have nearly 100 men, that's a sizeable group, even larger than the population of your town. What more could you ask?" "I'm asking you to take them back. I have no further need of them. After this, Amphipolis should be reasonably safe. The word has spread about what happened to the last guy who tried to take the town. No-one likes to be put in the stocks and ridiculed.That's worse than imprisonment. At least then, most people aren't aware of your situation. The stocks leaves you open to all kinds of criticism, kids throw rotten eggs and tomatoes at you, and adults make fun of you. Take them back, please?" 

The 'please' had actually shocked him. He was used to sharp remarks, ridicule, and worse. He stood there for a long moment, with a considering look on his face. Then, at last, he sighed. "Oh, all right. If you're going to ask so nicely. I'll take them back." The formations, with their wagons and supplies disappeared from sight. "Right...thank you." she remarked. He still had a slightly dumbfounded look on his face as he faded from view. "Whew.... it worked." Xena exclaimed. "For a while there, I thought he was going to make me keep them. He was actually almost insistent. I hope he's not up to something." Her mother was standing there staring at her. Xena had spoken to Ares as an equal. She'd been insistent, notwithstanding the fact that he didn't seem to want his armyback. What was going on here, anyway. They acted almost friendly to each other. Xena had been *polite*. Xena was never polite to anyone. Of course, Ares had also acted stunned by her actions . Apparently he wasn't used to polite behavior either. 

The village soon settled back to normal. People came and went, some shopping, some visiting Cyrene's tavern. Xena and Gabrielle were helping out there. The patrons just couldn't get over the fact that their own Xena had saved the town. Most of them had known her from the time she was an infant. She had always been a bit of a hoyden, practicing with swords, wearing pants and getting in fights. Her younger brother had been just as bad. The pair of them were always into something. The death of that brother had changed her completely. From a happy, mischievous child, she had become a solemn, and angry teenager. She had gone to the temple of Ares and pledged herself, so that she could learn to fight well enough to take revenge on Cortese. She had done very well... so well, in fact that she had become a warlord in her own right. She had become a terror, much like the man she hated so much. It had been years before she got her life turned around. Now she had been doing good for some years. She had turned her back on the ways of the warlord, but not on the ways of the warrior. She defended the helpless, and aided in any way she could. People now greeted her gladly when she came back home. Her little friend, the bard, told stories in the evening, but Xena usually down played her part in the story. She wasn't conceited in the least. 

That night, as she was getting into bed, she suddenly shivered. There was no draft in the room, which left only one possible reason for the feeling. "Ares, what do you want?" she asked. He appeared in a shimmer of light. "Nothing too serious." he replied. "I just wanted to see if you'd changed your mind." "Why should I? What are you up to now?" she questioned. "I'm not up to anything at the moment. I needed some excuse to visit you, and I thought that would suffice." "You're just visiting? You don't have some kind of plan to get me back?" she asked quietly. "Would it do me any good? You keep telling me that you're not interested in coming back. No, I'm just visiting. I enjoyed our little adventure. I loved the way you set things up. You had people in all the right places, at all the right times. You had planned everything perfectly. Your plan went off without a hitch, and I was actually impressed. Of course there was almost no bloodshed, very little killing, but that was only a matter of exceptional planning. I admire cunning tactics as well as bloody action. Anyone can go up with a superior army and kill the opposition." 

He sat down beside her on the bed. He didn't say anything more for a few moments, just stared. He stroked her hair back from her face. The tension was becoming unbearable. Xena tried to move away from him, but there was little room to do that. She suddenly got to her feet and began to pace back and forth. She didn't say anything at first. He just sat there and looked at her. Finally she sat back down. "Why do you always have to be there? Wherever I go, whatever I do, you're always there." He said nothing for a few seconds longer. Then he looked deeply into her eyes, and said, "You mean a lot to me, Xena. I feel the need to keep an eye on you. I wouldn't want you to be hurt because I wasn't there for you. It's happened in the past, and I regret that fact. I don't plan on letting it happen again." She looked back at him, examining his features carefully. There was no hint of evasion or subterfuge. He really meant it! 

She felt confused. So many things had happened between them, both good and bad. How could she ever trust him again, and yet..."Why should I believe you?" she asked. He slowly gathered her up in his arms. "Because I've never lied to you. I've evaded the truth, I've given you only partial information, and I've hinted at many things, but I've never actually lied. She gazed at him for a moment more, then laid her head on his shoulder. He gathered her close. He stroked her hair for a while, then the hand strayed down to her back. It continued to pull her closer. His other hand moved up to lift her chin. Her lips parted as he lowered his head. The kiss seemed to last forever. It had begun gently, but slowly increased in pressure, and became more insistent. She hesitated for only a moment, then relaxed into his embrace, and returned the kiss with abandon. He gently lifted her into his arms, and they disappeared. 

Her first thought the next morning, was that it had only been another dream. She had spent many nights dreaming of his arms. Each day she fought the need, refusing to admit any feeling for him. There was one problem with that thought. She was definitely awake, and there were a strong pair of arms around her and a very warm body against her back. She stirred slightly, shifting her weight. "Awake?" was the murmured question. The voice wasn't loud enough to wake her if she had been sleeping deeply, but it stirred feelings inside her that she had thought dead. His voice was deep and husky. It evoked desire again. She turned to face him. His hair was slightly tousled looking, the sheet had slid down to his waist, and she couldn't resist. She reached up and straightened his hair. Then she raised on one elbow, and bent over to kiss him. "Good morning." she told him after the kiss. Then she realized just how bright the light was in the room. "Oh no! It's late, I've got to get home!" she exclaimed. As she sat up entirely, she found that she was suddenly dressed in the night dress she had been wearing the night before. He gave a lazy wave of his hand, and she was at home in her own bed. It was just in time, too. "Hey, Xena, wake up! It's getting late, and it's not like you to stay in bed this late." The voice was that of the bard, Gabrielle, and she suddenly opened the door. Xena stretched and yawned for a moment. "That was the best night I've spent in ages." was her only comment. 

Breakfast was eaten quickly, as there was a lot of preparation necessary in order to open the tavern. Bread had to be baked, food had to be prepared, the tavern had to be cleaned and straightened up, and other miscellaneous chores had to be completed. It was necessary to bring out another keg of ale, as the patrons the night before had drained the last one. Everyone did their part, and finally the front doors were unlocked and opened for business. The outer doors were hooked to the outside wall to keep them open. The inside doors were of the swinging type, with springs to keep them closed. With the amount of traffic they were handling, it's a good thing they were. People were coming in and going out all morning. Some people came for breakfast and a little gossip every morning. The tavern was the hub of the town. 

Whenever anything major came up, the villagers gathered at the tavern, as it was the largest building in the town. There wasn't room for everyone, but people stationed inside the door would lean out and shout to those outside and keep them informed. It worked quite well. Xena spent the day in a slight daze. She completed all the things that were asked of her, and did them well. However, she had a smile on her face, that numerous people noticed. Several people commented on the unusually good mood she was in, and her only reply was that she had had a better night than usual. "After all that time on the road, a soft bed feels really good." was her only reply. She kept the real reason to herself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See chapter 1 for notes.

Xena and Gabrielle had left Amphipolis shortly after all the excitement of the rogue warlord had been settled once and for all. They were going to visit Gabrielle's family. It was only fair after the visit to Amphipolis. They had been on the road now for several weeks, with no real excitement going on. They had, however, been hearing more and more about rogue warlords. Xena had a strong dislike of rogue warlords after the last few days. In fact they had heard one tale of a rogue warlord going so far as to attack and loot a temple of Ares up north somewhere. This was almost unbelievable. Who in their right mind would attack the God of War. Xena decided that she must get to the bottom of this. 

Xena and Gabrielle stopped at an Inn in one of the larger cities they visited. and got rooms for the night. They settled down in the dining room, and ate a meal. Things in this city had been quiet for the last two years. It was large enough to have their own cadre of guards stationed about the streets, and guard posts every few blocks where guards rested between rounds. There was almost no crime in the city, and what little there was had been quickly dealt with. The citizens were justly proud of their reputation for swift justice. During the meal, Xena overheard even more discussion of the attacks up north. Ares had a temple in this city. A visit might be in order. 

Xena had enjoyed the meal more than Gabrielle had. It was really spicy, and Gabrielle liked her food a little less hot. Sweat was breaking out on her forehead, and she was constantly wiping it off with a cloth. Water didn't help. It only seemed to increase the heat. She tried Mead, and that did seem to cool things down somewhat. Finally, she had some pudding for desert, and the creamy texture seemed leave a cooling trail down her throat. Xena just grinned and had seconds of the hot stuff. 

After supper was done, they retired to their room. Gabrielle was really tired, and looking forward to a soft bed for a change. When she saw Xena getting out a dark hooded cloak, she groaned and asked. "Now what? Don't tell me that we're going out again." "No Gabrielle, you're not going out again, I am. I've got something to do, and I won't need any help doing it. I'll be back shortly. Go to sleep, I'll see you in the morning." It was still early, but Gabrielle really was exhausted. She finally agreed to wait in the room. 

It was several blocks to Xena's destination, but she covered it in record time. She stretched out those long legs of hers into a manly stride, which disguised her feminine walk completely. Anyone seeing her walking along like that would automatically assume that the person in question was a man in a hurry. She reached the huge double doors to the temple, opened one, and entered the main hall. She strode quickly into the main sanctuary, which held the throne, and the altar. She sidled her way past a number of people until she could enter a passageway to the private quarters. As she strode quickly within, she ran into a large hard bodied figure in a hooded robe. There was no doubt that this was the one she was seeking. She opened her mouth to speak, but was shushed. Then he took her by the arm and led her back into the sanctuary. He took her along one wall, and into a shadowed alcove. 

Again she tried to speak. He whispered "Hush, just watch." He then settled his back against the wall and observed the main room. She did the same. At first all she saw was a priest behind the altar receiving offerings. A slight pale featured man presented several gems. The priest received them, and blessed the supplicant. Next in line was a warlord. He got up there to the altar, took out a dagger and cut his hand slightly. As he dripped the blood on the altar, he made a formal blood sacrifice, announcing in a loud voice his dedication to his Lord Ares. "Pompous Ass.!" she heard Ares murmur. "He is an idiot. Couldn't fight his way out of a tight squeeze, a woman's squeeze." Xena chuckled softly. She knew the warlord in question, and had to agree with Ares' description. She knew that without the aid of his lieutenant the man would be long dead. Ares had seriously considered killing him personally a while ago, but had decided to wait until the lieutenant was older. The aide was a personal friend of hers, and had been instrumental in winning the battle near Amphipolis. 

Still there was nothing she considered important going on, and she opened her mouth to speak again. "Hush, I say. Now watch a little longer." He said. Another supplicant approached as the warlord received his blessing. This man offered a matched set of daggers. They were incredibly beautiful. Xena looked questioningly at Ares, but he just shook his head and nodded again toward the altar. Following the man with the daggers was an older woman. She offered a basket of fresh rolls, and opened the napkin they were enclosed in to disclose the contents. The aroma flooded the temple. It was mouthwatering. Ares was grinning from ear to ear. The woman then began to sing the praises of Lord Ares. 

There was a sudden commotion at the door. A bedraggled man pushed hisway into the room. He was madly waving a sword in the air, and practically frothing at the mouth. He was screaming something unintelligible. As he got further into the room he found himself with no targets for his wrath but the woman kneeling at the altar and singing praises to Ares. "Lord Ares be damned." he screamed. "Our forces went into battle on his behalf. We lost several of my friends in the fight. Ares was supposed to protect us. Someone must pay. Damn your praises to Ares!" He leaped forward, swinging the sword as he went, but as the sword came down, it was met with an even larger sword. The stroke was blocked by Ares himself. "Your commander failed to follow orders, that's why you lost." Ares replied. He made a swift move that disarmed the madman, then gave him a swift kick to the head that dropped him in place. Priests swarmed into the sanctuary, moving to defend the place. Their help was a little late, but they did get to take away the assailant for questioning. The woman had not even hesitated during the whole episode. She continued to sing the praises of Ares. As she finished, he himself gave her the blessing. 

After the excitement was over, Ares led her back to his own quarters. They sat down on the matching divans. He waved a hand at the table between them. Fruit, rolls, meat and cheese appeared along with a carafe of wine and two glasses. Xena then asked about the whole scene. "Alright, now tell me what was so important that I keep quiet and watch." He then went on to explain a few things. Several years ago a young man had come to the temple. He was the youngest son of the woman in question. Her two older sons were pillars in the community, but this last son was born long after the others. He had sworn allegiance to Ares, and had gone into training with other young men. 

When his mother had heard, she had quickly come to the temple to beg for the release of her son from his oaths. The priest in charge that day had informed her that there was no way for that to happen. She had then insisted that she wanted to talk to Ares himself. As he was in the hallway just outside the room he heard the whole thing. He entered and took her aside to discuss the subject. He assured her that her son could not be released from his oaths. She had then asked if Ares could watch over her son. She had promised to bring an offering each week, and to sing his praises as long as her son remained safe. He had been amused but had gone along with her request. He was sure that she would soon tire of her vow. She hadn't. This had been going on for seven years now. Each Sunday she came to fulfill her vow with fresh rolls and a song of praise. Ares had also upheld his end of the bargain. She was the mother of Teris, the lieutenant that had assisted Xena not too long ago. 

Xena was pleased as well as amused to think of Ares getting involved with a protective mother like that. She soon got down to business. She told Ares of the rumors she had heard about the looted temple, and asked if it could possibly be true. He assured her that it was. Every year there were a few raids from the northern barbarians and every few years there were major raids. They killed the men and ravished the women. More and more of the northern Greeks were being born with light hair and fair skin. This last year there had been more raids than usual. Groups of the barbarians were forming war parties and raiding deep into Greek territory. One of these groups had been responsible for the raid in question. They had no respect for the Gods of Greece, in fact Gregor had been one of those northerners. He had been blond, stocky and muscular. 

Since Ares had been the one to help her not long ago, Xena felt she owed him one. She offered to help. He raised one eyebrow quizzically. She said "I mean it. I'm offering to help as long as there are no strings attached." He grinned suddenly and asked with a smirk. "No strings?" "You heard me, no strings!" she replied. He was still smirking, but he finally agreed. She had to take care of a few things first but agreed to meet him the next day. 

Xena returned to their room at the Inn. Gabrielle was fast asleep. Xena took off the cloak, and put it away with her things. Then she stripped down to her shift and climbed into bed. She was also tired, and soon was sleeping deeply. Ares was watching her in his mirror and smiled as he saw her hug her pillow. She slept with her arms around the pillow and her head on one corner, almost as if she had her arms about someone and her head on his shoulder. He was tempted to enter her dreams and see if she was dreaming about him, he resisted, but only because he was afraid she'd remember in the morning.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See chapter 1 for notes.

Gabrielle was not happy, not happy at all. "You what? You volunteered to help Ares with his problem? Are you crazy? He's just trying to get you back again. You can't trust him, you know you can't, he's just up to something. I don't know what, but I just know that he's up to something." She continued to rant and rave for quite some time. Xena's calmness did nothing for her. Gabrielle was absolutely furious. Xena simply continued packing her bags. "You don't have to come, you know." she stated calmly. "It would be fine with me if you decided to go on and visit your folks for a few weeks. I can meet you there after this is all over and done with." "Not on your life! Leave you to go with Ares? You could just be tempted to rejoin him. You're better than that. I want to be there to make sure he's not up to his old tricks." Gabrielle exclaimed heatedly. She began to furiously pack her own bags." 

They gathered their horses, loaded their packs, and walked to the back of the temple. Ares was there with his own horse. This was a coal black stallion a full two hands taller than Argo. The stallion promptly began to prance in place when Argo got close enough for him to smell her. He ignored Gabrielle's gelding entirely. They all mounted, Ares waved a hand and they were no longer at the temple. They were on a grassy slope overlooking a valley. In the valley was a large encampment circling a huge pavilion. This was their destination. As they drew near, they were greeted with shouts of jubilation. Ares....Ares....Ares, was repeated over and over. Xena grinned as some of them suddenly recognized her. Shouts of Xena....Xena....Xena... soon went up as well. As they drew up their horses at the pavilion, Xena noticed that the idiot warlord was standing to one side. Just behind him was her friend Teris. She grinned, passed the warlord by, clasped Teris by the forearm and then threw her other arm about his neck and hugged him. "Teris, I'm so glad to see you again. Ares stood to one side with a crease between his eyebrows. 

The warlord was trying to get his Lord's attention. As soon as Xena let go of Teris and returned to his side, Ares actually recognized the man's presence. His name was Cletus and he was the same man who had made the blood sacrifice in the temple. Xena had absolutely no use for him. As Ares had said, he was an idiot. Only luck and good lieutenants had brought him to his present position of power. He had three aides, one of whom was Teris. All three were too young for a position of leadership, so they worked with Cletus. The troops would have preferred the younger men. Cletus was unpredictable. Harsh punishment for small infractions was a common thing, but if he was in a good mood, he might let a major foul-up slip by without any punishment whatsoever. You just never knew from day to day. Most of the time, however, the aides took care of the punishment details. They were just and the men much preferred it that way. 

They all gathered inside the pavilion, which had several rooms. The main room had several divans and chairs at one end, and a huge table surrounded with chairs at the other. They took their seats at the table, with Ares at the head. Xena sat to his left, with Gabrielle beside her, Teris just beyond Gabrielle, and the warlord on the right side with his other two aides beyond him. A map appeared on the table with stones to hold the corners flat. Ares stood up, pointed at a spot on the map, and announced that here was the temple that had been raided. He then went on to point out other places that had been raided recently. All were within a small area of the map. "These were all done by a group of about thirty man. A small band, I agree, but they seem to be well trained. They waste no time, hit and run, taking their loot with them. As you can see there is an open area in the central portion of the raids. Some deep valleys comprise most of that area, and I believe that is their base of operations. I believe you, Teris, have had recent experience with a similar situation." He was answered with a grin and a nod. 

The warlord tried to interrupt. He received a glare from Ares, and sat back down. "I'll get to you later ." Ares continued. He went on with supposition and rumor. "I will have to do some checking before we make any serious plans. I just wanted to make sure we were all aware of the possible problems at hand. I'll get back to you in the morning. Meet me here shortly after dawn and I'll have more information for you." The warlord and his men left the pavilion. Ares walked over to one of the divans, seated himself, and motioned the two women to a seat on the other. He then snapped his fingers. Plates of sliced meat and cheese, bowls of fruit and baskets of fresh rolls along with a carafe of red wine appeared. Xena looked at the rolls, and then at Ares. She lifted one eyebrow and looked again at the rolls before looking back to him. He grinned and nodded. there was a dish of cold fresh butter with some small knives stuck in it. Xena took some of the butter, and spread it on one of the rolls. It was absolutely delicious. "Now you know why my priests look forward to Sunday." He remarked. "They always order fresh butter on Saturday, because they know the rolls are coming on Sunday when she comes to make her offering. 

In one corner of the room was a shrouded shape. It was large and flat. Xena had a pretty good idea what it was from her experiences as a warlord. Ares always kept a large mirror on hand for scrying. He walked over, took hold of the cloth covering it and pulled. The mirror was exposed as she had known it would be. He took a seat before the mirror. Waving one hand in a lazy manner he began observing the area in question. Xena had followed him over and stood at one side of his chair watching as well. Gabrielle was intrigued, she had never seen such a thing before. Without conscious thought she followed Xena and stood on the other side of Ares. They watched as a group of men on horses came out of a hidden valley. They had to move some large shrubs which had been cut and placed to hide the entrance. When they were all outside, the shrubs were replaced. "Clever!" Xena stated. As they continued to watch, a bush was dragged across their tracks to remove any trace of their passage. "Real clever." Xena continued. Ares waved his hand again, causing the view in the mirror to shift. From a point high overhead could be made out the rough location of the valley. Ares walked over to the map and drew in the area. He then returned to the mirror to see if there were other entrances to the valley, and to see just how organized the encampment was. Gabrielle continued to watch in awe as he scouted the whole area from his mirror. There was another entrance to the valley, disguised as the first one had been. The encampment was larger than they had thought. Apparently they only sent out a portion of the men at any one time. The major portion stayed in the valley. There had to be over a hundred of them. They were mostly blond, but some had light brown hair, and a few were darker. 

They were obviously barbarians. The camp was a rough one. They had no tents, just some kind of brush huts with skins over them to keep out the rain. There was no proper sanitation. They had trenches right beside the huts. There was a small creek running through the valley, and a large area had been fenced off for horses. Ares then began to examine carefully the sides of the valley. He found a few places that would be easy to access with ropes. Xena grinned at him. He was obviously thinking of her own plans with regard to Gregor. He knew that he had men who could take on this job because they had already done so for her. 

When he was finished with his scrying and map making, he escorted the women to another area of the pavilion. With a broad grin, he bowed to them and left. Inside were a pair of beds, a dressing table, a washstand with basin, pitcher and towels, and a wardrobe. Their bags were on the beds having been placed there while they were in conference. They unpacked their things quickly, got themselves ready for bed, and turned in. There were none of the sounds they would have expected in the middle of an army camp. The room was almost completely silent except for the faint sound of the wind blowing on the wall of the tent. They were soon asleep. Both slept deeply, without any dreams. 

The next morning there was a faint scratching on the flap of their room. Xena was instantly awake. She shook Gabby awake, and spoke to whoever was at the door. "We're awake. We'll be out shortly." There was a soft voice that replied. It wasn't familiar at all. The girls dressed quickly and left the room. There they found a young priest waiting. He led them back to the table where they had been in conference. A large and hearty breakfast was waiting for them. All those from the evening before were gathered there as well. They discussed tactics as they ate. As soon as they were finished, the table was cleared. The map instantly appeared with all the new marks clearly inscribed. Teris had seen such things before he had joined Cletus. He had been aide to one of Ares' favorite warlords years ago. He had only left when the warlord died of some kind of fever. Several others among the troops had died of the same fever. Nobody knew what caused it. They were lucky that more didn't catch the disease. Out of three hundred and fifty troops, about ten percent had developed the fever, but less than a dozen had died. 

It had been decided that Teris along with several dozen of the climbers who had worked with him before would climb down ropes and work from within the valley. They would take out sentries, and prepare the way for the main parties to move in. Half the troops would come in from the east, and the other half would come in from the west. They would get into position on the night before the battle, and by dawn would be ready to move in. Again Xena ordered them to use cloth to wrap any noisy equipment. They were to secure everything possible before they made their move. Xena was in charge of the eastern group, and Cletus would handle the western group. Ares made sure that they all had their orders before they set out.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See chapter 1 for notes.

Gabby was acting as Xena's lieutenant, much to the dismay of the troops. "Two women? Xena we know, but who in Tartarus is the little blond?" They soon found out that she knew what she was doing. No group of barbarians was going to even slow her down. Their group made it's quiet way to the eastern entrance to the valley. They saw a group of raiders wiping out their tracks and entering the valley. That was good, they didn't want to miss any. Another group appeared. This one was comprised of only half a dozen men. They carefully wiped out their tracks also, going a ways further, then doubling back to the entrance. All the better. She hoped they 'd get them all. 

The attack commenced shortly after dawn the next morning. They saw a fire arrow arching over the hillsides, and began to move in. They were hoping for a clean strike like the last one, but it didn't happen that way. Not to be outmaneuvered by Xena, Cletus had decided to move in early. His troops were already inside the western end of the valley when the arrow flew. They had surprised a sentry that hadn't been taken out yet. He let out a bellow that woke the whole camp. Raiders came scrambling out of their huts with weapons in hand. Cletus took an arrow in one eye that penetrated to the brain. He dropped in his tracks. His aides looked down at him, shrugged their shoulders and took over the command of the troops. Shortly after this, Xena and her troops came on the scene. The raiders were well armed and trained. They were giving as good as they got. Their leader was a huge blond bulging with muscles. One of the aides took him on, but was soon wounded badly. Xena arrived just as he went down. She deflected a blow that would have beheaded him, then went on the offensive. Her war cry rose above the din of battle as she attacked ruthlessly. The powerful muscles of the blond managed to defend himself against her strongest blows. Her only real advantage against him was her speed and agility. He appeared to be muscle bound, unable to make some of the moves that she could do with ease. She ran up the front of him, kicked him in the head, flipped and landed out of his reach. He shook his head briefly, then attacked again. She flipped over him and came at him from behind. He was a little slow in turning, and she managed to get in a kick to the knee before his sword was within range of her. The kick didn't faze him. She dove to one side and rolled back to her feet. She was just in time. His long legs gave him the advantage in a small space. He had made two great steps and was upon her. She dove again, ending in a flip. Again she was just out of reach. They had been going at it for quite a while. Xena had never met someone who was quite this good before. No one other than Ares had been able to match her, but Ares was a god. This guy was a mortal and he was good. 

The battle went on and on. Xena was getting tired. She was incredulous at the fact. This couldn't be happening. Her opponent seemed to be as fresh as ever. There was a sudden flash of blue light. Ares had arrived. He had been watching for quite a while now. He had realized that this time Xena was in over her head. He moved to intercept the sword blow that would have taken off her arm at the shoulder. The blade met his in an incredible ringing of steel. Sparks flew from his blade. The barbarian never hesitated, he simply changed targets. Another warrior tried to take Ares in the back, but was stopped by Xena's blade. She was terribly tired, but had rested just long enough to get her breath back. Attack, parry, jab, within a few minutes she had killed him. Another moved to take his place. She and Ares stood back to back against a number of foes. He made a sudden move that took out a sneak attack on her, and she later returned the favor. Suddenly there was another great ringing of steel, and the barbarian leader's sword broke in two. It hadn't been made to duel with a sword made by Hephaestus. Two swift moves later, Ares had taken off the leader's head. They continued to fight side by side and back to back until there were no more enemies to battle.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See chapter 1 for notes.

Cleanup didn't take too long. They dragged all the huts and hides into the center of the valley and burned them. The bodies and survivors were taken back to civilization for justice. They had found most of the loot taken from the temple in the leader's hut. It was several times as large as the others and absolutely stuffed with valuables. Some of the horses were later identified as belonging to various farmers and returned. The raiders themselves went to Corinth. There weren't many left. They had all fought like a bunch of madmen, shrieking and screaming as they fought. Wounds didn't seem to slow them down much, They just went on with the fighting until they couldn't stand on their feet any longer or could no longer hold a sword. Less than a dozen had survived, and all of them were wounded. 

Gabrielle was as happy as she could be. She had been involved with some of the fighting, and had overseen a lot more of it. She had been nearby when Xena was failing in her battle. She had realized that the impossible was about to happen to Xena until Ares had arrived. She had breathed a great sigh of relief when he blocked the blow that would have severely incapacitated Xena. He had saved Xena's arm, and probably her life as well. She decided that he wasn't as bad as she had thought. He had done something right, and it was a very important something at that. She felt that she owed him one, or at least a thank you. When the battle was over she did just that. 

Ares transported them back to his temple, where they were greeted with great joy. The priests had been aware of much that was happening during the fighting. One of the high priests had used the mirror to watch the battle. They had all seen the intensity of the fighting, had seen incredible feats ofdaring by the soldiers of Ares. They had been facing a smaller number of enemies but the foes had been berserkers. They didn't know when to quit. If they had any strength left they kept right on attacking. It didn't matter the odds. They had acted as though they couldn't possibly lose. It must have come as a shock when they realized that they had not only lost, but lost badly. 

When Xena had first told Gabrielle to go back to the Inn by herself there had been some resistance. Xena just stood there and stared her down. She had finally left, but it was obviously with great reluctance. "I have matters that still need to be cleared up." Xena had told her. Gabrielle had finally acquiesced. Xena had gone with Ares back to the private quarters. They had sat on one of the divans for a while and discussed the battle. They had both been amazed at the strength and stamina of the leader. After having fought Xena to a stand still, he had gone on to give Ares a good battle. If his sword hadn't broken when it did, he might have lasted quite a while longer. His men had tried to defend him to the last, swarming any who battled him, trying to defeat all comers. They had died to a man. The few that survived were mostly taken before the battle. 

An uncomfortable silence fell after a while. They each stared at the other. Finally they both started speaking at once. Then they both started laughing. Ares looked at Xena, she returned the gaze. Then she moved into his embrace. They just held each other for a while. Then she leaned her head back and parted her lips for a kiss. He quickly obliged. The kisses went on for quite a while. Hands began to roam. He raised an eyebrow and looked toward the bed. She nodded. They slowly got to their feet, arms about each other and walked the few feet between the divan and the bed. As they went, she began taking off her clothes. He admired the view as he opened the sheets, shed his leathers and climbed inside. She was right behind him. They lay there for a while in each other's arms and continued to discuss the battle. He kissed her hair and brow as she lay there with her head on his shoulder. She again lifted her head for a kiss, and things rapidly escalated from there. 

The next morning they lay there kissing. Xena noticed something moving under the sheet and couldn't resist. She lifted the sheet and asked "What have we here?" Ares grinned and stated "That 's a warlord standing at attention." "Not Cletus. Pray tell me that's not Cletus?" she asked anxiously. "Oh, no, I can guarantee that's not Cletus. He's dead." he replied. She laughed out loud. "That's good. I'm glad. May I make a suggestion?" He looked at her for a moment then shrugged. "Sure, why not? What would you like to suggest?" "I'd like to suggest that you order that warlord into position, then attack." He laughed uproariously for a moment, then replied. "I think that can be arranged." The battle raged for quite a while, until the warlord lost his proud demeanor and surrendered in defeat.......until the next time. 

The End


End file.
